Last time I made cinnamon rolls was with my daughter five years ago when she was still in high school. Now I’m thinking why I never made it again. The only reason I’m guessing was not having enough time, since my girls had so many after school activities that I have been running around to.
I made these cinnamon rolls again finally as a Mother’s Day treat. Almost everyone have so much time in their hands these days, so it’s no big deal. I adapted this recipe from this site. It works great for me and I am always pleased with the results. The only thing I didn’t follow was coating the bottom of the pan with butter and sprinkling sugar on it. I didn’t want to make it too gooey and decadent, this is sweet enough for us as it is.
In a bowl place a packet active dry yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water and set aside. In a mixing bowl add the following: 1/2 cup scalded milk, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup melted butter, 1 tsp. salt, 1 egg and 2 cups all purpose flour. Mix until smooth. Then add your yeast mixture. Mix an additional 1 1/2 cups flour. You may use up to 4 cups total flour, until dough is easy to handle. Knead for 8-10 minutes until you get a smooth dough. Place in a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 1 1/2 hours.
After the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it on a lightly floured clean surface into 15 x 9 inch rectangle. Spread 1/2 cup melted butter on dough and then sprinkle a mixture of 3/4 cup brown sugar and 2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon. Roll the dough beginning on the 15 inch side then pinch to seal the ends. Using a sharp knife cut into 12 – 15 pieces.
Place rolls close together on lightly greased pan. Cover with kitchen towel and let it rise again for 40 minutes. Then bake in a 350F preheated even for about 30 minutes or until nicely brown on top.
While rolls are baking prepare frosting by combining the following: 4 Tbsp. butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract and 3-6 Tbsp hot water. Mix until smooth then spread over your cooled rolls.
